Amnesia
by Lydia2
Summary: COMPLETE Sequel to 'A Statue of an Elf' Legolas is poisoned by accidental contact with blackwater, now it is a race against time to save him
1. Default Chapter

Legolas limped alone through the trees of Mirkwood. Aragorn had left for Imladris the day before, so the elf had gone back to his previous duty of scouring the territory for orcs or spiders that might penetrate too close to the dwellings in the forest. He had run into only one orc, and that in the last ten minutes. His particular sector was the 'safe' elf path. He had to insure that it remained clear of noxious invaders.

He was not thinking about that, though, but of his friend, a Man. He had rather surprised himself with the friendship and was even more surprised at how easily his father had accepted it, especially knowing whom the man was, the Heir of Isildur. As he pondered on this, he didn't quite notice where he was. In fact, he was so deep in thought that he actually tripped on an exposed root.

With a muffled cry, he fell forward, holding out his hands to catch himself. Unfortunately, one of his hands did not land on solid ground, but in a puddle of blackwater. Even worse, he had cut that hand in his fight with the orc, and it hadn't had time to completely seal. He did not remember that a moment later, though, for the enchantment of the water entered his bloodstream.

Instead, he fell unconscious for two hours, though, of course, he did not know that. When he did awake, the last thing he recalled was his sobs as he killed more than a dozen orcs over a month before in the woods of Imladris. Feeling rather confused as to how he had gotten to the woods of his home so quickly, he was nevertheless ashamed to have been crying, though his face was now dry.

With that thought in mind, he climbed a tree and crossed the stream of black water that he now saw before him and headed west. His mind, though bewildered, gave him a confused impression of safety and a vague impression of the man who had saved his life, seemingly bare minutes ago.

~+~

Thranduil struggled to control his facial expression. One of the scouts had earlier reported that Prince Legolas was missing from his assigned sector. Now another scout stood before him, having just reported seeing Legolas running southwest along the plain outside of Mirkwood in the direction of the Old Ford and the Misty Mountains. The scout had taken the time to scour the Prince's scouting area thoroughly and had found the impression of a body and a wet handprint in what appeared to have been a puddle of water near the Enchanted River, now mostly dried up.

What scared Thranduil the most, however, was that there were also traces of blood. The Woodelves were somewhat more immune to the magic water under normal circumstances of just touching the water than mortals, but if it entered their blood, it resulted in the same long term amnesia, and worse. It could result in death if not counteracted.

Dismissing the scout with thanks (and making a mental note to reward him for the observation that might save Legolas's life) Thranduil got out parchment and began composing a letter.

~+~

Elrond was very surprised to receive a pigeon from the Woodelf King so soon. He was expecting Aragorn in a few days thanks to the last message, but was rather nervous about opening this latest one. It was dated two days earlier. Steeling his nerves, he unrolled the letter.

"To Lord Elrond from King Thranduil," he read out loud slowly. The handwriting was rather sloppier than usual and the style was amazingly informal for the usually strict king. "I fear for my son, for he seems to be in trouble and is heading your way. One of my scouts noticed him leaving Mirkwood in a hurry and then discovered a bloody handprint in enchanted water. I fear he has no recollection of our reconciliation, and moreover has bloodpoisoning. Please watch for his arrival and send me word."

Elrond blanched and stumbled backward at the words. Strong hands caught his shoulders and lowered him to a chair. Looking up, he met Glorfindel's eyes. "Why now?" he begged. "Why so soon after all the good that has just come into his life?"

The golden haired advisor shook his head. "I know not. Do you have the remedy to blackwater?"

Elrond sighed. "No, as a matter of fact I don't. There hasn't been any problem from it in so long. Fortunately, though, it is the season for the necessary herbs to be harvested; though I don't usually need them for other ills. Now I have to find where they are currently growing." He levered himself out of the armchair. "Would you go find the twins? They will need to know. And with all their wandering, they surely have the location of every herb growing wild around here."

As Glorfindel sped away to find Elladan and Elrohir, Elrond searched through his volumes on herbal remedies, most of which he had himself discovered and written. Though he knew what ingredients he needed, he wanted to be sure of the exact proportions lest the needless death of one result in many more from despair.

After flipping through the pages of several books, he finally found it, just as his sons rushed into the room.

"Adar!" They exclaimed in unison. "What's" "going on?" "Glor" "findel wouldn't" "say."

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Elrond still had to laugh at the way the twins still completed each other's words and sentences. Then he sobered as he remembered his own lost twin. "Legolas is in trouble. He was poisoned by the Enchanted River and is now on his way to Imladris. And he probably doesn't remember that he gets along with his father because otherwise he would have gone home rather than heading here."

He held up the book that he had open. "I need you to find me the ingredients for Thar Moralu. It is long since it was needed but we must have me'aered, poika agar, and huidagner. Athelas we already have of course but more wouldn't hurt. Please go now and find them."

Exchanging a swift glance, the twins charged back out of the room and he heard them once more trading syllables about where they had seen those plants. Then his blood ran cold as he heard them say, "But huidagner is only in Lorien." Praying that they would get everything on time and that the prince would actually make it, Elrond lowered his head into his hands. Hope was growing smaller.

A/N Okay, I found some elvish words on the grey-company.org website and sort of put them together in my own made up herbs. They mean: me'aered—lightseed, poika agar—pure blood, huidagner—murkbane, and Thar Moralu—against blackwater. Yes, I know, I'm sooo creative ;p Anyway, I'll try to get the next chapter up soon.


	2. GilEstel Shines

Disclaimer: Sorry, forgot to put one on the first chapter but I'm sure everyone is completely aware that I don't own any of this. It belongs mostly to Tolkien with the exception of a song, which was written by Brian Flynn I think.

Dedication: this story is dedicated to all my wonderful reviewers, especially those who begged for a sequel to my last story.

Chapter 2

Elrohir galloped out of Imladris ten minutes after receiving his father's news. He was used to departing with short notice, and always had a bag of supplies packed and waiting at his bedroom door. This and his weapons he had grabbed quickly. The longest time had been taken by saddling his horse. With any luck he would run into Aragorn on his way.

As he urged the horse on, he hoped he could beat the record time for reaching Lothlorien. Not that it was time for such amusements, but in this case, beating the record meant getting there and back before Legolas could be expected to arrive.

~+~

Legolas ran swiftly across the plain. Whatever injuries he remembered taking, there were few he could find now besides a cut on one leg and another on the back of his hand. The latter was oddly puckered but didn't hurt so he dismissed it from his mind, hoping only that it wouldn't hamper his shooting. He had been going for about two straight days, now, though he wasn't entirely sure of exacts. But he had gotten some elvish sleep on the run and now was approaching the river.

As he drew up to it, he knelt down to cup some water in his hands. His left one stung strangely for a moment, but that passed and he drank deeply his fill. He had been carrying a packet of Lembas on the unremembered patrol, but his hand had gone automatically to his pocket when he had grown hungry, and he had eaten several bites of it by this time.

So many things puzzled him, but his mind seemed slippery and he could barely grasp the scenery he had so enjoyed on his run. After quenching his thirst, he waded out into the ford and crossed without trouble. Then he started running again, to the Misty Mountains.

~+~

Aragorn rode hard to reach his home. Not that he had not enjoyed his stay in Mirkwood, but he was eager to see his own father again, and tell him the full story of the King and his son. He was in the mountains now, which was the longest part of the journey, both because of the extended trail with the elevation of the land and the very real danger from goblins. Though many had died in the Battle of Five Armies about a decade before, that only made the remaining ones more desperate in revenge.

The man had set out four and a half days earlier and was now facing his first threat in that time. He had reached the foothills in midmorning, and as evening crept behind him, he could hear the muffled signals of the goblins that were watching him. Worse, he was at a disadvantage, for the light of the setting sun was in his eyes. Nevertheless, he drew his bow off his back and set an arrow to the string, determined to bring down as many as possible.

The attack, when it came, was swift, and he barely managed to get off two shots before having to draw his sword and dagger. He fought hard for a half-hour as the sky darkened, and then he heard the thudding of hooves as a horse approached swiftly. Hoping against hope for an ally, he called out in the elvish tongue, breaking his silence for the first time, "Here!"

There was a shout in return, and the whistle of swiftly shot arrows as the ranks of goblins were decimated. Aragorn took advantage of the surprise and killed several more before the creatures decided there was little to be gained and grabbed a few corpses for food as they retreated.

Aragorn remained on guard until he was sure all of them had gone, and then bent over with his hands on his knees to catch his breath. The footsteps of the unknown horse started toward him again after a moment, and the man looked up to see a familiar silhouette. "El!" He exclaimed. He could normally tell the twins apart quite easily, but in the darkness it was rather more difficult.

He watched his brother dismount and quickly distinguished him. "Elrohir. I am glad to see you, muindor. But why are you out here?" Then he added quickly, "I am unhurt."

The twin grimaced. "You may not be, but Legolas is! Sorry, I shouldn't have put it like that. Adar received word from Thranduil that Legolas has blackwater poisoning. I am on my way to Lorien to find one of the ingredients for the antidote."

Aragorn groaned in response, and said, "Why now?" He was surprised to hear a light laugh in answer.

"According to Glorfindel, that is exactly what Adar said. He also said Legolas was last seen leaving Mirkwood coming in this direction on foot."

He anticipated his younger brother's quick reply. "I'll head back the way I came, then, to meet him. I just hope he remembers me. If he doesn't, I'll shadow him. I remember learning about the poison a few years ago and Ada saying it dulls the senses of elves." He mock-glared at Elrohir. "Well, what are you waiting for? I thought you were going to Lorien?"

Aragorn waited while Elrohir mounted and got out of sight before going over to his own horse. He had in fact sustained a few minor injuries, but he knew his brother would have made a big deal out of it if he had found out. He climbed slowly onto the horse's back and turned him back the way they had come before reaching into his saddlebag for the good healing supplies. He always kept some on his person as well, but the bag had more, and had bandages, which wouldn't fit into his small pouch.

Though the horse was in motion, he easily bound his wounds and got partly cleaned up. Then he urged the horse into a faster gait.

~+~

Thranduil stared hopelessly at the stars. He was on Legolas's balcony, clutching a pillow from his son's bed. He had forced himself these past few days to continue his duties as monarch as usual, but his nights he spent out there, remembering all that had happened on that balcony. Though the prince had only been gone a few days, it seemed like years, centuries had gone by, though that was completely opposed to normal elf mentality.

His eyes glazed over and he buried his face into the pillow, which caught his tears. It did not stop them, though, for it bore the scent of his son, causing a bigger lump in his throat.

"You left home a long time ago

But there's something I want you to know

The love of a father will always remain 

No matter where you go

There isn't a thing you could do

To prevent me from loving you

You could squander my money my jewels and my land

And still I'd provide for you."

Finally getting control over himself, he stared back up into the sky, and his eye was caught by Earendil, also know as Gil-Estel. His sobs started again and he made no effort to stop them. He had received a gleam of hope, for Estel was one of the names of Legolas's friend. And Elrond and Estel were both descendants of Earendil. He had to believe that there was hope.

"I gaze out into the night

Wond'ring if you are alright

If you're fed and clothed and taken care

Or if you're scared and full of fright

Perhaps you think what you've done

Makes you unworthy to be my son

Just remember the love of your father remains

And if you could hear me I'd say,

Please come home to the house of your father

I am watching the road

I am praying that you will return

For I am missing you so

There's so much I am wanting to tell you

So much I have to give you

I am waiting for you to come home

To let you know I love you."

His head finally drooped in exhaustion and his eyes fell almost completely shut. It was the first time he had fallen asleep since he heard the news.

~+~

Legolas's door opened silently in an eerie echo of earlier events. The elf that entered this time, though, was young, around the prince's age. He was in fact the same scout who had brought the news about seeing Legolas leave Mirkwood. He had always admired the king's son and wanted to befriend him, but had been rebuffed by the prince's indifference.

That had all changed a couple of weeks earlier when he had seen the first real smile on Legolas's face. He had immediately responded by making tentative overtures of friendship. The response had been fantastic, though he hadn't managed to spend much time with his new friend. However, Aragorn had drawn him aside at one point shortly before leaving and had asked him to keep a close eye on the two royals. He hadn't explained much, saying it wasn't his story to tell, but he had implied a great deal.

With all of this in mind, he crept into the prince's bedchamber. He had seen the king enter not so long ago and was justifiably worried, especially when he caught sight of where Thranduil was sitting. The king's glow had dimmed considerably and he was sound asleep sitting on cold stone.

The scout took a blanket and laid it around the liege's shoulders, covering him as best he could. The king turned his head slightly from where it was propped on the pillow. His face was tearstained and he muttered in his sleep, asking questions and answering them.

"But why can't I go after Legolas? He's my son." "But he doesn't believe you love him. He will be spooked and run harder." "Surely I can convince him of my love?" "He is your son. You know how stubborn he is." "But…" "Elrond will take care of him. He will surely restore his memory and then send for you." He gave a deep sigh and started tilting sideways. The scout immediately reached out gentle hands and lowered him to lie down. Then on second thought, he gathered the king into his arms like a child and placed him on the bed. He then made to leave, but his hand was caught by that of the still sleeping elf.

Giving in to the inevitable, he sat on the edge of the bed, still holding the king's hand. With his other he stroked the anguished father's hair and fell asleep propped against the headboard.


	3. Fading Memories

Hello again. I had free time so I decided to post the next chapter now. Enjoy.

Thranduil's eyes jerked open wide. He had thought he was dreaming, but now he was in a bed with someone sitting beside him, someone whose hand he was clutching, who was in danger of falling on the floor. By the stars it was the middle of the night. He peered at the face of his companion and vaguely recognized him. He also recalled his 'dream' in which his father, no, his son, was carrying him to bed. This elf was neither.

He rolled his eyes reflectively. He'd work out the mystery when the sun came up. In the meantime, he would give his comforter room to lay down. He cautiously slid over and managed somehow to pull the other elf as well without waking him. Comfortable again, the king slid back into dreams.

~+~

Elorien glided peacefully to wakefulness with the rising of Anor. He was in a bed that wasn't his for some reason. He stared around without moving and then caught sight of Thranduil, sitting in a chair beside the bed. He blinked.

"Good morning, youngling. Care to tell me about last night?"

Elorien blinked again. Memory rushed back to him. "Well, it's like this, Your Majesty, Aragorn told me to keep an eye on Legolas, and well on you so I was worried because you always seem tired since he left so I followed you to make sure you were all right and you didn't seem to be so I put you in this bed and you thought I was someone else so I decided to stay but I was sitting up and…" He ran out of words.

"Thranduil chuckled. "You aren't in trouble. So that 'Man' told you to look out for me? He's got guts and so do you. I thank you." He stared out the window, leaving Elorien in utter shock.

Until just recently he had thought the king heartless. His perceptions were changing, though. Now he truly saw the father in Thranduil. He hadn't had a father himself, for he had died before Elorien was old enough to remember. He wondered if his father would have been like this, and blinked back tears.

Thranduil turned back to him. "Your name was…El…? I'm sorry, every time I try to remember, I think of Elrond and his twin sons."

"Elorien, sir. I'm a scout."

"Ah, yes. I remember. Raised by your mother, I believe."

Elorien nodded and looked down, tears starting again. *I wish I had a father like you* he thought, not realizing he said the words aloud.

A hand reached out and lifted his chin. "I wish I had always been such a father." The hand brushed away the tears. "But I shall try to stand in for yours, if you wish. It will give me practice for when Legolas returns." Thranduil smiled sadly. "Come, ion nin, let us eat breakfast together and discuss your brother."

~+~

Aragorn yawned as he rode into the dawn. Though his horse, Ara (so named for a plethora of ancestors), was also tired, he hadn't dared to stop because of the still present danger from the goblins. He was back in the foothills again now and decided it was safe enough to stop. He wouldn't be much use to anyone if he couldn't open his eyes. Finding a tiny spring, he practically fell off the horse.

He took one drink of water and then grabbed his bedroll to spread it out. He was almost too tired to do anything else, but he removed the saddle and bit from Ara before collapsing into his bedroll and immediately falling asleep.

~+~

Legolas almost missed the snort. He had been running without resting his legs for a very long time now, it seemed. But he had this overwhelming compulsion that he was following, plus he wanted to get as far away from his father as possible. The snort of a horse, however, broke his concentration and his legs began to ache.

Forcing himself to go over to the horse rather than just dropping to the ground where he was, he limped his way over to a rough camp. The first thing he saw was an elven bred horse. Then he noticed the sleeping man nearby. Finally he realized that the horse was not tied up, much to his amazement. Elves did not need to tie up their horses, but if a man actually managed to get hold of one, he normally had to tie it very tightly to keep it from escaping.

Legolas looked more closely at the man's face and at last recognized him. "Aragorn!" The man stirred slightly but did not awake, though it was nearly noon. Legolas knelt down beside him and pulled back the blanket. Aragorn's clothes were bloodstained from both his own blood and that of the goblins he had slain.

The prince, however, was more confused than ever. *Some magic,* he thought, *must have carried off Aragorn just as it had done me.* He shook the man who had saved his life. "Aragorn, wake up!" This time it worked and the Dunadan opened his eyes.

"Legolas?" he queried, before cutting off the rest of his words as his brain kicked into function.

"Yes, mellon nin. I'm not sure what happened but I know I was killing orcs after one of them shot you and then everything went dark. I'm afraid some black magic has torn us away and I'm seeking to return to Imladris." He watched anxiously as his friend's face twisted up. *He must be trying to remember,* Legolas thought.

~+~

Aragorn was torn between laughter and tears at the elf's words. He settled for looking thoughtful, though he was more worried than ever about the effects of the blackwater. He pushed himself up but almost fell back if Legolas hadn't grabbed him. He wasn't sure as yet if it was simple infection or poison but neither prospect was particularly welcoming, especially when his only companion was an elf with amnesia.

The main point of pain was centered on his left lower back where a blade from behind had caught him. It would be almost impossible for him to treat it by himself. Letting out a hiss of pain, he said, "Legolas, would you lend me a hand? I fear that one of the—orcs got me in a place awkward for me to tend myself." He eased the tunic up away from the spot and asked, "What does it look like?"

Legolas was silent a moment and then said, "It looks rather raw with red lines streaking out around it. I assume you wiped it off at some point because there isn't much blood. The scab is blackish, though. Oh no! Poison?"

They both groaned.

Finally Aragorn said, "Is your knife clean, my friend?"

Legolas drew both daggers, but to his dismay, both looked somewhat worse for the wear.

"What about one of your arrows, then?"

The archer pulled all of them out and was relieved to find a few that had never been used. The rest had all been retrieved from the body of some foe. These arrows he only used on the enemy. He had a different quiver for hunting food. Those arrows he always kept meticulously clean so as not to taint the meat.

Putting most of them back, he took the three good ones and searched through Aragorn's pack for the cooking pot he was sure would be there. He set the three arrows into it momentarily while he started a fire. Then he held the shafts in his mouth as he rinsed the pot a few times before filling it with water, which he set to boil. At the man's instructions, he got out a bowl and filled it with water as well before bringing it to the healer. Aragorn pulled out of his herb pouch an Athelas leaf, which he breathed on before dropping it into the water. He wasn't fond of doing field surgery on himself but at least he had the right tools, mostly. He had no thread and needle and cursed himself silently as he remembered. Not that he was capable of sewing himself up at such an angle anyway, and he was doubtful that Legolas would have been up to the task in any case.

The water began boiling in fairly short order, and the prince stuck the head of one of his arrows into it, holding it by the shaft. When he figured it had been sanitized well enough, he brought it over to where the man was waiting. "Do you have anything to bite down on," he asked.

Aragorn grabbed the corner of his blanket and set it between his teeth. Then he nodded to the elf. There was a sharp pain as Legolas drew the hot arrowhead along the line of the infected cut, and he ground his teeth.

~+~

Legolas hated causing pain in such a way, but knew it had to be done. Though he had only known the man for a few hours total, (the time together in Imladris plus the time since he had found Aragorn again. The time the cursed magic separated them didn't count) he had spent a great deal of time on his long run reliving the moment that Aragorn dove in front of the arrow meant for him. He assumed that some of the blood on the man's clothes was from that and that he had managed to bind it himself.

He grimaced as he opened the infected wound and followed the instructions Aragorn had given him earlier, using a clean bandage dipped in Athelas water to flush out the poison and then push more blood to the surface to get out more. Then he added more herbs to the water and swirled it around.

Aragorn was lying on his stomach, so Legolas gently tilted the bowl so that the healing water could counter the poison cum infection. When all that was left was soggy herbs, he dumped them on another bandage and tied that section directly over the long cut, not pausing when his patient shuddered convulsively.

Then he asked, "Do you need me to check the arrow wound?"

Aragorn shook his head. "No, it is well bound and healing. It missed anything vital, thank Iluvatar."

Legolas didn't insist. He was rather uncomfortable touching other people in any way so he was glad not to though he knew he owed him his life. Then he realized that he had not yet thanked him. "Thank you for saving my life back there. I have never before seen such a brave act." For a moment he had a sense of déjà vu but it swiftly passed. "We shall rest here, I think, until your pain has passed." 

As the man did so, the elf went to toss the soiled cloth into the fire and then keep watch.

~+~

Elrond paced the floor, biting his lip nervously. Elladan had found the two herbs that grew in Rivendell and both were in various stages of distillation. However, he still awaited the arrival of the last essential ingredient plus the patient. He also wondered where Aragorn was.

Having healed him so many times in addition to raising him as a son, he had a weak magical bond with the man. Unfortunately, its only use at such distance was to tell him that the man was alive. Within the bounds of Rivendell, he could also occasionally sense strong emotion if he concentrated but now he could only hope that the man, though alive now, would remain that way as he made his way home.


	4. A Brother's Life

I'm sorry, my resident uruk-hoppity held me at carrot point and told me to write this story. You might want to back away slowly. :D

Legolas sat watching the fire as Aragorn slept. His left hand felt cold for some reason, so he held it out over the flames to warm it as his gaze unfocused. Suddenly he wondered why he was there. He saw as man nearby and an elvish horse and realized, *He stole this horse. He's probably going to kidnap me as well!* Drawing a dagger, he approached the sleeping stranger silently and drove the blade into his shoulder. The thief let out a scream and then fell silent. 

Assuming he was dead, or would be soon, he left the dagger in place after jerking it around roughly but being unable to dislodge it. Then he jumped on the horse, leaving all the saddlebags and tack, and rode away over the mountains.

As he galloped away, he wondered why he was so desperate to get across this range. But it would get him further away from his father, so he set out, intending to avoid meeting anyone, elf or human.

~+~

Aragorn moaned weakly and tried not to retch. He had lost a great deal of blood already and knew that he would be unable to help himself. Before he lost consciousness again, he let out one last cry, "Ada!"

~+~

Elrond screamed suddenly as a flash of pain lanced through his shoulder. Elladan and Glorfindel, who were walking with him away from the stillroom, immediately caught him from either side. 

"Ada? Ada, what's wrong? Is it…?"

Elrond groaned. "Aragorn. He is hurt." Then he tensed again, hearing the cry. "I…think he's…dying."

Both listeners gasped. "Where is he?" they asked in unison. 

Elrond was silent a moment, testing the weak bond. It had grown stronger momentarily as Aragorn reached out to him and he was able to discover the answer. "At the other side of the mountains. No specifics, I only know that much."

His oldest son immediately rushed away to grab his own ready pack and depart. Glorfindel, though, kept a strong arm around him. "Do you need to lay down?" He asked in a concerned voice.

His look of surprise showed clearly when Elrond nodded. Then the Peredhil reassured him. "Aragorn reached out to me and I felt his pain, but I think that sharing it lessened it, so I am going to do my best from here to strengthen. If I can, I will take it all from him." Then he whispered, "He didn't deserve this. I caught a flash of vision through his eyes. The knife belongs to Legolas."

Glorfindel bit his lip and then half carried his incapacitated lord off to bed.

~+~

Elladan rushed down to the stable in less time than Elrohir had taken. "Can you give him the special stuff?" He asked the stablemaster vaguely.

The elf stared briefly into his eyes and then nodded. He had heard Elrond's scream even from there. Going over to a locked door as Elladan saddled his horse, he got out the magical key of which there was only one copy which was in the posession of Lord Elrond. Within the tiny room, there were many various bottles brewed by Elrond himself. Selecting one, he poured a small amount onto a piece of bread, which he then fed to the horse.

Elladan looked at him pleadingly. "Could you give me a few more pieces of bread to take with me? Please, I must get to Estel. He is…Father thinks he is…" He couldn't say the word, but the other elf obviously understood and prepared several more.

As Elladan mounted, the potion began to take effect as the horse started acting restless. Giving his him head, the elf whispered, "Noro lim, Mel!" Mel took off like a shot, going much faster than normal. He would be able to maintain the speed for many hours with the help of the potion he had just taken, and with the help of the additional portions he would be able to make it all the way to Aragorn and back in two days total.

~+~

Elrohir was met at the edge of Lorien by Haldir and Galadriel. He had met and left his foster brother a day and a half earlier, having made better time than he had expected. It was dawn, and he had not realized he would be greeted before he could even state his mission, but there was his grandmother waiting for him.

Before he could even speak, she said, "I had a vision, plus I was contacted by my son-in-law. Therefore, I have for you this herb and this. You must go back the way you came immediately and without delay." She handed him several pieces of huidagner and motioned for Haldir to give the piece of bread he held to Elrohir's weary horse. She then handed her grandson a packet of Lembas. "You must go now."

Her words were so compelling that he immediately turned his horse away. But as he went, he heard her words in his mind. Your little brother is badly wounded. Your father does not know how much longer he can last.

Elrohir bent over his dancing horse and whispered, "Noro lim, Lon!" His brother had to be alive.

A/N Okay, this seems like a good place to stop. Please don't kill me!


	5. Drifting

Elladan and Mel flew over the mountain terrain, not pausing for anything. Though it was nighttime, Elladan merely concentrated to strengthen his glow and rode on and none of the goblins even bothered trying to attack, for he was going much too fast. As it drew near dawn, he heard the rattle of hooves of some other horse and caught the merest glimpse of an elf on a horse before he was past and far beyond the other.

That brief sight was enough for recognition, though. And Elladan was greatly surprised at the sight of Legolas, but refused to be distracted from his current mission. What had surprised him the most, though, was the look on the Woodelf's face, or rather the lack of any *look.* That disturbed him, because it meant he had fallen back in memory to the time before healing and the poison was taking strong effect.

A several hours later as the hour approached noon, he thundered up to the place his youngest brother lay. He glanced around for a second before hurling himself off his horse and saw from a distance as cloud of dust signaling another horse from the south. On a hunch he felt his bond with his twin and was very relieved that it was Elrohir coming.

Then he went to examine Aragorn. The man was in a deep trance beyond pain though he wasn't unconscious. Recognizing his father's work, he gave a sigh of relief and then reached along his own bond with Lord Elrond to assure him that he had reached his foster brother.

Glancing behind him again, he saw that Elrohir was almost there even in so short a time. Deciding that a minute would not hurt, he waited until his twin came running up before reaching down to pull out the dagger lodged in the man's shoulder, just too high to hit the heart, though near enough that it could be fatal from shock and bloodloss. As Elladan brought it out gently, Elrohir clamped his hands over the wide wound to staunch the bleeding.

The older twin let out a hiss of disgust and horror as he really looked at the dagger for the first time. "It is Legolas's. I rode past him on my way here and now I am sure it was Aragorn's horse he was riding. He stabbed him and then stole his horse. And this blade has traces of orc blood on it so we also have to counter poisoning." He threw it to the side and got out his own pouch of herbs, rummaging through for a few particular ones.

He stopped as Elrohir let out a cry. "The bloodflow has not slowed at all! Quick El, stop that and lend me your power!" 

Elladan dropped to his knees beside his two brothers and put his hands on them. Then he sent out another pulse to his father, which he hoped could be understood before summoning his healing powers.

~+~

Glorfindel sat beside Elrond wishing he could be of some help. The Peredhil had been in a trance all night, speaking out loud only rarely, mainly to protest when his advisor wanted him to eat. Elrond spoke again now, though. "Glor, grab my hand. Help us!" Rather confused, he obeyed and immediately saw the task. He began channeling strength into the family links he sensed.

As an outsider, he could *see* what was happening to some extent, and it amazed him since he normally did not help the healers. Elrond and his sons were pouring power into Aragorn, whose physiology he could now sense. There were streaks of darkness invading his body as the poison tried to take hold. The three healing elves were flooding him with light, though, and gradually driving out the dark. Their light began to fade before they could succeed, though, so Glorfindel risked thumping his foot on the floor three times on a prearranged signal.

The door flew open and Erestor rushed in, followed by two of the healers. Glorfindel reached out and touched one, drawing him into the link. The healer immediately understood and began adding his own strength, soon joined by the other two. With that help, the three main fighters finished off the last of the darkness.

~+~

Aragorn drifted in an empty darkness. He had been hanging on to his body with his father's help, but suddenly his father wasn't holding on to him anymore. He felt detachedly betrayed by this, but wasn't able to actually feel any emotion or anything else. He couldn't tell if time actually passed but he started seeing things. The first thing he noticed were four thick white ropes holding him to something.

Testing them idly, he realized that only one of them actually belonged to him. Touching another one in growing curiosity, he heard/felt a wordless cry from his ada. He experimentally pulled himself down it, and found himself in Elrond's bedroom. His adar was lying on the bed with his eyes closed, four other elves surrounding him, of which two did not look to be in much better shape.

Then he heard one of them, *Glorfindel,* he remembered, say, "He's been holding on to Estel ever since. I don't know where he got the strength but I can say this, if Aragorn doesn't survive, neither will he."

With a gasp, Aragorn was back in the dark. This time he followed another rope and found himself standing by his brothers. Neither was in much better shape than Elrond, but they were conscious, at least. He overheard yet another twin conversation.

"Did we succeed?"

"I don't know."

"Aragorn, Estel, please, muindor, wake up!"

"He's got to, he can't just die after all of this."

"And at Legolas's hand."

"Valar, I'm going to make that elf pay for this."

"I'll help."

"By Eru, what will happen to adar if Estel dies?"

"He'll die, that's what, and the rest of us will follow."

"I should have gotten here earlier."

"It's too late to blame ourselves now, we just have to get him back."

"Come on, Estel, wake up!"

Aragorn found himself reentering his body with a wrench. There was a brief pain through his entire body and then it was gone. He felt better than he had in a long time. He opened his eyes. "You'd better not die." He said.

A/N Just so you know, I know diddly about medicine. I made up all the procedures I used so if I got any of them right, it's probably a miracle.


	6. Family Bonds

Elladan and Elrohir gasped in surprise and relief. "Estel! Don't ever do that to us again!" they exclaimed. To their even greater surprise, he sat up before they could even reach out to help him up. He reassured them by opening his tunic. There was only a faint scar to show what had happened.

Aragorn engulfed them both in a big hug. "I didn't plan on it, and I really am not looking forward to a reoccurrence so you can rest assured that I will do my best to avoid it." He grinned at their bafflement. "Oh well, let's go home. Or do you still need to go after that herb? I sort of lost track of time, you know."

Elrohir laughed. "I went there and back very quickly, the back mainly due to Grandmother. Let's go home and make that antidote so Legolas will know why I am out for his blood!"

Aragorn chuckled quizzically. "What are you talking about?"

His brothers traded a look of concern. "Don't you remember," Elladan asked, "Legolas stabbed you and you called out for Father and he heard you so we came."

"Oh." Aragorn was silent for a moment. "But that was probably just because of the poison wasn't it?"

The twins laughed humorlessly. "I'm sure it was, but I'm not going to let him off easily anyway. Besides, I wonder how we are going to get the antidote into him. If he's forgotten you, he probably also forgot that we are friends so we will have to catch him off-guard somehow."

Volleying suggestions among them, they mounted the two horses, the twins sharing Lon while Aragorn rode Mel.

~+~

Thranduil sighed heavily as he looked out the window for the umpteenth time. His bond to his son had been weakening steadily for days and was now barely a thread. He only knew that Legolas was still alive. On a better note, he was beginning to bond with Elorien, though the young elf was barely related to him by blood. The scout had been a comfort to him and Thranduil was very pleased with that decision.

"I stare out and look to the (west)

Awaiting the glorious feast 

That I will prepare on the day you return

The day that my sorrow will cease

And I've waited day after day

Hoping you'd come home to stay

Wondring if you're already on your way

I fall to my knees and pray

Please come home to the house of your father

I am watching the road

I am praying that you will return 

For I am missing you so

There's so much I am wanting to tell you

So much I have to give

And I'm waiting for you to come home

To let you know I love you."

He wondered where Legolas was now. So many days had passed, it seemed. He could be anywhere. A bird caught his eye and he realized it was a messenger pigeon. With trembling hands, he caught it and unrolled the letter.

"Thranduil," it read without any pretense of formality, "Legolas seems to be getting worse, judging by what happened a few days ago. He came across Aragorn and tended a wound he had received though he was under the impression that they had only just fought the orcs here in Imladris and had been under some spell that sent them away. However, within a few hours, he attacked Aragorn with a dagger and nearly killed him, then stole his horse. My son is better, but yours is not. We are looking for him though, for I have the antidote ready. Be aware, though, that while it will counter the poison, it may be some time for his memories are restored. I will update you on our progress, though, rest assured. Elrond." It was dated the same day.

Thranduil gaped in shock. He had realized that Legolas had lost memories but it was still difficult to comprehend that he would actually attack Aragorn. But Aragorn was a man, and to his sorrow, the king had raised his son to be wary of men. Dropping the letter, he slumped down in his seat and said a prayer to Iluvatar for the protection of both his son and the ones sent out to bring him back.

~+~

Legolas had avoided coming near Rivendell, though his horse seemed intent on heading in that direction. Instead, the elf went around and continued west, though slower now since his mount was tired from the long journey of his rider. Though he hated to do so, Legolas had forced himself to stop for a few hours each night to allow the horse rest. Now he was passing through a wet marshland and the going was even slower.

The prince was forced to walk, leading the stolen horse. Looking at its bridle for the first time, he realized that there was a name written on it in Tengwar. "Ara?" He mused aloud for the sound of his own voice since he hadn't heard another's in he didn't know how long. "That's a strange name. I wonder who that man stole you from." Then he wondered, "I wonder whom the man was that I stole you from?" Then he gave up on the thought and continued on, trying to ignore the bugs swarming around them.


	7. The Arrow

Aragorn protested to no avail. He wanted to go along with his brothers when they went after Legolas but nobody would give permission. Though he was an adult by most human standards, Elrond informed him that by Dunadan age, he was still a boy, and thus still under his father's authority.

So he griped and moaned but came up with a plan that would at least assist the searchers. "Legolas won't want anyone coming near him, is my guess, so you will need some other way to get the medicine into him. I'd say the best bet is a dart or arrow dipped in knockout juice. Just hit him in some non-lethal place and then get the antidote down his throat while he is out. If the knockout doesn't work, you might have to fire arrows with the antidote on them."

He grinned at the rather amusing picture this brought to mind. The arrows his brothers were taking were tiny as were the bows, both of which were of a size for a child. He had only watched his brothers practice with them once, but it was entertaining to see them.

As he called Namaarie, standing by his father's side, he wondered where his inspiration for the treatment had come from. Elrond saw his bafflement and said, "It was a good idea, ion nin. My brother would be proud to have such a descendant."

Aragorn furrowed his eyebrows. "Ada? What does Elros have to do with this?"

Elrond chuckled. "When we were children living with Ereinion, Elros came up with many strange ideas. He was very adventurous and so would act upon them without giving heed to the dangers they might pose. One time, he put knockout juice onto some arrows intending to capture an animal as a pet. Unfortunately, Gil-Galad came upon him as he was testing his arrow-tips. He pressed his finger down a little too hard and knocked himself out. And then as he was falling, Ereinion caught him but the quiver of arrows dumped out on him and one cut him as well. One of the king's councilors came looking for him and found the two out cold. He was rather shocked of course and Elros was in deep trouble when he woke up."

Aragorn laughed with him at this picture of his ultimate great-grandfather. Then he looked back at the man he called 'Ada' and said, "And what sort of trouble did you get in? I'm sure he couldn't have done it alone."

Elrond flushed. "Well, I was the one who made stuff for him and it was stronger than I intended so yes I was in trouble." He refused to elaborate, though.

~+~

Elladan and Elrohir once more rode Mel and Lon at amplified speed. The horses had been named by young Estel, who had witnessed the birth of the twin colts. Now both sets of twins hurried away in the direction Legolas had been seen to ride several days earlier. He was easy enough to track, though they found that his steps led to the Midgewater Marsh. It was a dreadful place and they had to go very carefully through it. But they had long legs and the need for speed so they got through to the other side in little time, knowing they were gaining on the prince.

Less than a day later, they saw him in the distance and urged the horses forward, readying their bows.

~+~

Legolas heard horses behind him and tried to urge Ara faster but the horse was having none of that. Those were his stable mates and he wanted to be back in his stable so he refused to go faster than he was. Legolas suddenly heard a whistling and felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. He immediately felt woozy and began swaying in rhythm with Ara's steps. The stallion immediately noticed the difference and slowed, trying to keep his rider on.

Legolas held on to consciousness as best he could, feeling betrayed. As he gazed around with dimming eyes, he caught sight of a little man not far away who had a look of concern on his face. Holding his gaze, Legolas fell from his horse.

~+~

Elladan whooped as he saw that the potion had worked. Then he galloped up to catch the prince before he could slam into the ground. As he supported the drooping body, he felt something sharp prick his ankle. 

"Hey you, unhand that elf!" Elladan looked down and saw a small bright sword in the hands of a hobbit. 

"Bilbo!" He exclaimed. He pulled back his hood so his features could be recognized. "I'm trying to save this idiot's life. Please don't cut off my foot!"

The hobbit blinked. "El?" He said. The twin laughed at his common nickname, used by his brothers and sister as a joke and by everyone else because they honestly couldn't tell him from his twin brother.

"Yes, Bilbo. He got some water from the Enchanted River in his blood and I have to give him the antidote before he harms anyone else. He already almost killed my little brother. You may remember him, Estel, who was ten when you passed through Rivendell last."

Bilbo finally sheathed his sword. "Well, well. Is he all right? I mean are they all right? I am heading to Imladris now myself as a matter of fact. Oh, hello there El."

The twins began to laugh at this last and were joined by the traveler. Elrohir at last managed to calm down and gave a slight bow to the hobbit before uncorking the bottle of medicine he held in his hand. He nodded to Elladan, and the elf steadied Legolas, pinching his jaw to open his mouth. The other poured the entire dose of Thar Moralu down the woodelf's throat.

The effects were instantaneous. Legolas convulsed and then began coughing up horrible fluids with the blackwater poison in them. He finally fell silent with a gasp, and Elladan felt his pulse. It was holding steady and his breathing did not sound so bad. The twin pulled the arrow out at last. It was hardly bigger than a dart, and it had kept the prince unconscious through the proceedings. Elrohir wrapped it with a bandage and helped his brother steady the Woodelf and position him on Mel. Then he dismounted and lifted Bilbo up on Ara after whispering a few words of reassurance into the horse's ear.

The hobbit clung to the horse's mane. He had ridden ponies before, even bareback, but this was a wide horse without a saddle. The elves didn't notice his distress though, and he knew they were worried about the unconscious one so he just held on as the horses headed to Imladris.


	8. Home

Legolas woke up feeling groggy, something which was completely atypical for elves. His shoulder stung as he rolled onto his side trying to place his surroundings. Then he started as he noticed a dark-haired elf watching him.

"What do you remember, young prince?" The elf asked.

Legolas squinted, trying to think through his pounding head. "Umm, there was a horse I was riding. I don't know where to or from though. How did I get here, what happened to me?" Concentrating hard, he was able to recall the elf's name. "Lord Elrond?"

Elrond smiled. "You had a bit of an accident a couple of weeks or so ago but you have a bit of catching up to do. First, I'd like to introduce you to my adopted son, Aragorn."

A burst of memory flashed into his mind as the man walked in. "Haven't I seen you before?" He frowned. "Something about a horse but also there were orcs." He tried to process the information that was awakening within him. "I…thought you were a thief and stabbed you. But I had known you before that, I think. I don't remember."

Aragorn took a seat on the edge of the bed. "That's because of the blackwater. It made you forget a lot of things. I don't blame you, though you'd better be on guard around Elladan and Elrohir. They are out for your head."

Try as he might, though, Legolas could not remember anything more. He slumped back flat in defeat. "If you don't mind, I think I am going to sleep." He slurred out, his eyes shutting. He had been sleeping with his eyes shut since being giving the antidote.

~+~

Weeks passed, with Legolas gradually regaining strength and memory. Unfortunately, he was still hostile when his father was mentioned and did not even bother trying to regain any of those memories.

Aragorn was very depressed over the whole matter. He was happy that Legolas remembered him as a friend again, but he wished he could somehow remind him of the good things about Thranduil without the elf pretending he needed more sleep.

Finally he hit on a solution. One afternoon when Legolas had again taken to his bed, Aragorn stood under his balcony and began to sing softly a song he had overheard Thranduil singing to his son. His voice was not as good as an elf's but he was credible singer and could do justice to elven songs.

~+~

Legolas tossed and turned, trying to avoid the voice he heard in his dreams—his father's voice. But then he realized that something had changed about the nightmare he had been having about his father. It was no longer a nightmare. And his father was not staring coldly at him but hugging him close and singing. As he relaxed, the dream grew clearer, Aragorn telling Thranduil something and Thranduil holding Legolas tight and whispering something that caused his dream-self to cuddle closer to his father. 

"I love you." He said out loud, waking himself up. He sat up and tried to recapture the dream, speaking it out loud. Then he heard a thump on his balcony and the rest of is flooded back. "He told me he loved me. I know he did. It wasn't a dream. And you were there and he said what you had said didn't matter or it did but he didn't care, he was going to help me."

Aragorn grinned at him. "So you remember at last? Your father has been very worried about you but didn't dare come visit himself for fear of your rejection."

Legolas gaped at him. "He feared my rejection…and I feared his?"

The man laughed. "Yes, I know how ironic that sounds. But he has been worried sick about you. We've sent daily updates, but he has feared that you would never remember him."

His face full of determination, Legolas said, "Then I must go to him."

"Exactly. But first you must regain your strength. I know you have not been eating." Aragorn stared firmly at him.

"Oh alright, but I must go soon. And please don't tell him. I want it to be a surprise." Legolas knew he sounded like a child but didn't care. He felt like one, and still deferred to Aragorn's demands out of guilt. He felt absolutely terrible about trying to kill Aragorn, especially since the man was being so nice to him as if he had already forgotten what had happened. But Legolas couldn't forget now that his memories had been returned to him. Each time he slept, he regained some part of the time he lost, and so remembered running and then finding Aragorn asleep. There were a few hours of time he could not account for, those being the ones between walking through the forest and then running across the plain, but his entire time in Aragorn's camp he did recall, though he hated the memory and himself.

Forgetting that Aragorn was still in the room, he lay down on his stomach and buried his face into the pillow. "Why is he being so nice to me?" He whispered in barely audible tones. "Why doesn't he yell at me or accuse me or something? I don't deserve his kindness. And Elrond has been kind to me as well even though I almost killed his son." He thought back over a conversation he had overheard, Aragorn scolding his father for not taking better care of himself since he almost died to save him. Legolas was not clear on that story yet, but he still felt guilty.

Two hands were placed on his back, soothing him. One felt rough and callused, the other smooth. He knew exactly who owned each. Rolling away, he tried to drive off the unwanted comforters. Why were they doing this? Didn't they know how guilty he was? Didn't they care that they were supposed to be blaming him?

Elrond was the first to break the silence. "Why should I bother to blame you? You were unaware of your actions."

"But…"

"None of us blames you," Aragorn put in. "You blame yourself more than enough. You were poisoned, lost your memories, how could any of us lay blame on you when we could have been the one in your position."

Legolas rolled over to look in their eyes and see if they were being truthful. Elrond's were deep and mysterious but also held sympathy. Aragorn's silver eyes held some mirth as well, though.

"Don't forget what I said about the twins, mind you." The man whispered.

Then a new voice came from the doorway. "What about us, brother dear? Surely you do not imply that we are dangerous or would hurt anybody. Besides, we did that already."

Legolas raised an eyebrow. "What did you do?"

"Nothing lasting, obviously. Merely that sore on your back is where I shot you."

Legolas blinked. "Uhhh…"

"Well you would not have let us near you otherwise would you? So we took Aragorn's suggestion to heart and used a small arrow dipped in something to knock you out."

The prince transferred his gaze to Aragorn, who tried unsuccessfully to look like he felt guilty.

"We ran into someone you might remember on the way." The twins said. A short figure leant around the tall elves.

"Umm, hello there, you might not remember me but I'm Bilbo. I met your father about a decade ago. Don't know if you were there at the time. You know, at the lonely mountain? I also ran around that cave that you call a home and got to know it pretty well. Nice place you know but a bit big for me."

Bilbo had clung to Ara's back for some time before the twins remembered him. At first Elrohir had just switched horses with him since Lon had a saddle, but after awhile, they had given up on having him cling to the horse alone. Since they were to be going faster, the twin had told Ara in elvish to follow them home at his own pace and then got behind Bilbo and fed Lon and Mel each a piece of soaked bread. Then they had gotten to Imladris in a much shorter time than Bilbo had thought possible for anyone, even an elf on a horse.

~+~

It was another week before Legolas was strong enough to travel. True to his word, Aragorn had not told Thranduil any of it, and Legolas had fulfilled his promise to eat better. Now he rode a horse borrowed from Elrond's stables as he headed back across the Misty Mountains with Aragorn.

That was another week's ride to Mirkwood, though he wished he could go faster. As they approached the trees, Aragorn rode ahead to tell the scouts to pass the word not to pass the word that Legolas was coming. Then he fell behind the returning prince so that he could have a small modicum of privacy.

~+~

Thranduil stared out the window ignoring his councilors. He continued to get daily reports from Elrond, but he felt something different in his heart. Suddenly he stopped breathing. There was rider in the trees. The familiar face…Without any thought of decorum, Thranduil yanked off the formal robe he wore over his casual tunic and leggings and jumped out the window, leaving the droning elf staring after him in shock. 

The king dashed across the courtyard but stopped several feet away from the young elf sitting on horseback, worried that he might be wrong in throwing himself on his son. Then he stared into the blue eyes of the returning prince and hurled himself forward again, pulling his son down to him and just holding him tight.

"Then one day I see you appear

Though I haven't see you in years

I run and take you up in my arms

Covering you with my tears

Welcome home to the house of your father

I've been watching the road

I've been praying that you would return

For I have missed you so

There's so much I've been wanting to tell you

So much I have to give you

I've been waiting for you to come home

To let you know I love you."

Legolas reciprocated strongly, much to his relief. His son was home, and whole. Another set of hoofbeats rang out slowly, and he did not bother to look up, for he knew it was Aragorn. So without raising his head, he said, "Thank you for returning my son to me."

There was no answer but two horses started walking again as Aragorn led Legolas's mount to the stable, leaving the two in peace.


	9. Epilogue

I am currently in the process of writing a sequel, but here is the official last chapter of 'Amnesia'

Legolas smiled as he leaned on the rail of his balcony. He was finally home, and whole. His father had surprised him several times during the day. First had been the effusive greeting at his arrival. He had partly feared his father's reaction, but by Thranduil's appearance he had been the anxious one, worried about Legolas and his reaction. After that the king had informed him about his informal adoption of Elorien. Legolas had been slightly jealous at first, but had then realized how much his father had needed comfort having gained and lost his son in so short a time. He liked the other elf and was glad to call him gwador. 

The last reason was that Thranduil had insisted upon sitting him through the night. The king was even now sitting in a chair beside his bed, allowing him a few minutes of privacy to enjoy the beautiful night he had missed so long, since in his opinion, there was nothing better than the stars over Mirkwood as viewed from the balcony. As ridiculous as some people might consider it, this was his home and there was no place like it, no matter how beautiful.

Turning his head slightly, he was able to see Aragorn, also looking out into the night. The man nodded but did not break the calm silence. Legolas nodded back and re-entered his room.

"Did I tell you how glad I am to be home, Ada?" He asked.

Thranduil smiled. "Only a million times. And I am glad."

Legolas gave his father a warm hug as he had many times since his arrival. Thranduil held him tightly in return and dropped a kiss on his forehead. "I love you, Ada," Legolas murmured and felt Thranduil stiffen. 

"Do you know how long I have waited for those words, ion nin? I love you and always will." He sank back into the chair he had risen from and pulled Legolas onto his lap like an elfling. "How about you sleep here, tonight, nin hen? Like you did before she died. I remember you falling asleep in my arms many nights and have heartily regretted my words to you many times."

The younger elf smiled. "Yes, please, Ada. Nowhere could be more comfortable."

Settling him better, the king snagged a blanket from the bed and tucked it around both of them. "Good night, my son, and sweet dreams."


End file.
